‘Where’s vanilla from?’ Random question planted seeds of Bangkok couple’s orchid empire

Pariya Junhasavasdikul was preparing to pop “the big question” to Viluda Pornputhasri in Europe when a much smaller, random one came up. It was during a long train ride from France to Switzerland that one of them wondered, “where does vanilla come from?”

“It turned out neither of us knew. So we googled and started to dive into it,” Pariya said of that fateful moment two years ago. 

Instead of stopping after the first Wikipedia entry gave them an answer (orchids!), the couple continued research vanilla after they got home, from the basics to its availability in Thailand and how to harvest it.

Not only did they learn vanilla prices were spiking due to a global shortage, they also learned there are few vanilla farms in Thailand despite its compatible climate. Today they are growing upward of 5,000 vanilla vines a few hours west of Bangkok.

Vanillian Inc.:…